Anchor rail clip



9- RRCLARKSON 2,183,513

ANCHOR RAIL CLIP Filed Feb 27, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 12, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFiCE ANCHOR RAIL CLIP 13 Claims.

My invention relates'to anchor drive clips for fastening a rail to a tieplate which, in most cases, is fastened to a tie embedded in ballast.

An-object of the present invention is to provide 5 a one piece driven type of rail fastening of low cost which may be substituted in a spike hole for the present rail spike and preferably may perform the gauge maintaining function of the spike and, in addition anchor the rail against longitudinal movement in either direction relative to the tieplate and hold the rail down with yielding pressure such as will permit wave motion in the rail, as caused by passing traffic, without undue disturbance of the tie in the ballast, and yet create frictional forces aiding in preventing longitudinal motion of the rail. Thus, in effect, a single piece clip or wedge, according to this invention, may perform the combined functions of the rail spike, a rail anchor, and more expensive multi-part fasteners, and may be applied in accordance with the teachings of my copending application Serial Number 29,052, filed June 29, 1935, and of my copending application Serial Number 64,999, filed February 21, 1936, to which reference is made.

A further object of this invention is to provide a rail fastening which will grip or bite the rail and preferably act mechanically to restrain longitudinal motion of the rail apart from the opposition to such motion which is caused by friction created by the downward pressure of the clip.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rail fastening which may be readily driven into place and easily removed, which is rugged and capable of exerting great force against undesired rail movement.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details and methods of construction described in this specification and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the particular embodiment of the invention within the scope of What is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention. I intend no limitation other than those of the claims when fairly interpreted in the light of the full disclosure and the present state of the art.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 illustrates a side view of one form of anchor rail clip embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a face view of the clip of Fig. 1;

Fig, 3 illustrates a side view of a preferred form of anchor rail fastening embodying my invention;

Fig. 4 is a plan view as therein shown;

Fig. 5 illustrates details of construction of a drive clip similar to that of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section in part, illustrative of the application of a clip such as that of Fig. l, to a rail and a tieplate;

Figs. '7 and 8 are fragmentary plan and elevational section respectively, illustrative of the application of the clip of Fig. 3 to a rail and tieplate; I

Fig. 9 illustrates a side view of a drive'clip similar to that of Fig. 3;

Fig. 10 is a sketch-illustrative of another form of bifurcated drive clip;

Figs. 11 and 12 are sketches illustrative of modifications of the drive clip of Fig. 10;

Fig. 13 illustrates the application to a tieplate and rail of a clip similar to that of Fig. 11;

Fig. 14 illustrates the application to a tieplate and rail of a still further modified form of the clip of Fig, 10.

Similar reference characters relate to similar parts throughout the views.

Preferably each clip is a single piece of resilient material, as spring steel, preferably of a uniform width substantially that of a standard railspike opening. Clips of the character shown in Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive, are short and thick, provided with a shank split through a portion of their length into two members or legs diverging and upwardly extending with free ends at the top, the body portion 3 at the bottom or head of the clip being provided with a lip or detent 4. Thus there is formed asubstantially V-shaped resilient wedge which may be driven into a standard rail spike hole in existing track, or into other opening provided adjacent the rail base, the legs compressing together until the detent lip of the head snaps into position and is caught under the tieplate, giving rise to a slight sliding and rocking motion away from the rail about the edge 8 of the spike hole, as a fulcrum. One leg I, or IA, bears against the upper outer edge 8 of the spike hole 9, or other opening through the tieplate, and the other leg 2, or 2A, bears against and overlies the edge of the base of the rail 5.

In a clip according to Fig. 1, the stock from which the clip is formed may be relatively thin and the legs IA and 2A may be side by side, longitudinally disposed with respect to a rail 5, while in a clip according to Fig. 3, the stock may be substantially square and the driving leg I may of the clip of Fig. 3,

be in back of the rail base bearing leg 2, or transversely disposed with respect to a rail 5. In each case a head or body portion 3 at the lower end of the clip is provided with a lip or detent member 4 on one side.

Preferably, though not necessarily, the rail base bearing legs, 2 and 2A, are twisted, not only to present a hard edge contact to the base of a rail 5, which may indent and grip the rail base, forming a positive mechanical restraint against longitudinal movement of the rail, but also to provide an added stiffness to the leg in the direction of resiliency as well as along the rail, and further to provide an element of torsional strain.

In the preferred form of drive fastening, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5, the rail bearing leg 2 may be of any degree of thickness or flexibility relative to the driving leg I, as may be desired. In the construction according to Fig. 5, a short rectangular block A of a cross section such as will just drive into the tieplate opening S may be employed, and by indentation, as at B, a detent lip may be provided, such indentation (Fig. 8) permitting the clip to rock away from the rail 5 as the detent i snaps into place below the tieplate 'I, the upper outer edge 8 of the tieplate opening 9 acting as a rocking and sliding fulcrum.

By a cut i9 a rail bearing leg 2 (Fig. 5) is created and, as illustrated by the dotted lines, the rail bearing leg 2 may diverge from the drive leg I at any angle desired but such construction alone may limit the variation of rail sections to which the clip may be satisfactorily applied without undue stresses in the metal. I prefer to rely upon a slight divergence of the legs with the twist of the rail bearing leg so located as to provide a definitely overhanging portion, as l i (Fig. 8) and where the clip may require it a secondary bend I 2 (Fig. 6) may be provided in the twisted leg.

It is apparent that a clip of the character described blocks lateral movement of the rail. Moreover by reason of the vertical walls of the opening 9, usually a cut spike opening, and the corresponding width of the clip, the clip is firmly held and any slight twist makes a more rigid assembly as it takes up working clearances and wear.

While clips of the character described may be formed from a short block of suitable material, as A, they may be formed of a flat strip or band by bending to a U shape and, as illustrated Fig. 9 the body portion 3A and detent lip 4 may be provided by deformation of the bent portion. At present, however, where strip steel is to be employed in a single piece drive clip, I prefer to provide clips of the character of those illustrated in Figs. 10-14.

As shown and described in the first mentioned copending application, a simple form of bifurcated clip or strip material (Fig. 10) provides a drive leg 23 having a lip or detent i a rail bearing leg i l, the two legs being formed by a bend or loop providing a driving head i5. With the wide variations in rail and tieplate thicknesses at present employed, the application of such a clip may be facilitated by various modifications in details to provide easy driving, increased leverage, and a wider range of angles to which the clip may be tilted.

I prefer, in this instance, a clip of the form shown in Fig. 11 with a driving leg l6 backwardly curved from its original angle so that, with various tieplates, the driving angle may be adjusted to the thickness and the slope of the rail base,

and for similar purposes and greater resiliency, I prefer to loop the rail bearing end I! and provide a rolling contact on the rail during driving of the clip from its initial position (shown dotted Fig. 13) to its final position (full lines Fig. 13). I prefer to provide a downwardly curved edge portion 20 to drop over the edge of the rail 5 at the final snap into place of the clip, thereby providing effective resistance to lateral motion of the rail (Fig. 14).

It is apparent that in a clip of this character, the driving force is most effective when applied in the direction that the driving leg must follow. In a resilient clip thislimits the distance that the driving head maybe from the opening with the structure of Fig. 13 and thus, in part, limits the resiliency of the clip if a maximum thickness of the metal is maintained for strength.

To make the driving head I5 available or free to be struck and to reduce the strain at the bend and on the drive leg, I may provide a flexible double or S-shaped loop l8 at the bend (Fig. 14) if the rail arm I4 is above the bend, or I may twist the metal (Fig. 12) to bring the rail arm I4 below and to one side of the drive leg I3 in which case the driving head i5 is free and open and a single loop I!) is provided which may be of considerable length with resulting length and flexibility of the rail arm l4.

What I claim is:

1. An assembly of the character described comprising a rail, a tieplate provided with an opening therethrough adjacent an edge of the base of said rail, a one piece resilient wedge member positioned in said opening provided with a split shank of such character as to provide upwardly extending, resiliently coacting, diverging legs, one of said legs engaging said tieplate and constructed and arranged to be driven by a spike maul or the like and the other leg engaging the edge of said rail base, and a portion provided with detent means engaging the under side of said tieplate.

2. An assemblage of the character described comprising a rail, a tieplate provided with the usual spike opening therethrough having vertical walls,

a drive type resilient one piece rail fastener substantially of the width of the tieplate opening throughout the length of the fastener and provided with a detent lip projection engaging the lower face of said tieplate adjacent the inner edge of said opening, a drive leg engaging the upper outer edge of the opening and fulcrumed thereon and extending above the tieplate, and a rail base bearing member.

3. As an article of manufacture, a drive type rail fastener consisting of a wedge of resilient material provided with an anchor portion at the lower end and a two part shank comprising a drive member and a rail base bearing member, said drive member upwardly extending from said anchor portion when said fastener is operatively positioned and provided at its upper extremity with a free end for driving the fastener into position and said rail base bearing member connected to and diverging from said drive member and resiliently cooperating therewith and upwardly extending from said anchor portion and provided with an upper part directed away from said drive member and adapted to overlie the rail base.

4. As an article of manufacture, a drive fastener of resilient material comprising a portion provided with anchoring means and a divided shank portion comprising upwardly extending diverging members, one of said members being of rectangular cross section and twisted about its longitudinal axis whereby to present an edge contact to the rail base to which it is applied.

5. An assemblage of the character described comprising a rail, a tieplate provided with an opening therethrough adjacent said rail and a rail fastener of resilient material having a detent portion of the width of said opening engaging the under side of said tieplate adjacent the lower inner edge of said opening and provided with a drive leg slanting across said opening and engaging the upper outer edge of said opening and resiliently pressed thereagainst and extending above said tieplate, said fastener being provided with a rail bearing member engaging said rail eccentrically of said drive leg and tending to twist the latter.

6. An assemblage of the character described comprising a rail, a tieplate provided with an opening therethrough adjacent said rail and a drive type rail fastener of resilient material of the width of said opening throughout provided with an anchoring portion at the lower end and provided with a rail leg engaging said rail and another leg connected thereto, diverging therefrom and formed with a free upstanding end extending above said tieplate, whereby said fastener may be driven into place, and pressed against the outer edge of said opening by the tension of said rail leg.

7. As an article of manufacture, a rail fastener for use in the spike opening of a tieplate comprising a strip of resilient material of approximately rail spike width folded upon itself once only in such manner as to provide a twopart shank comprising two laterally aligned, resiliently cooperating members squeezed together at the fold and diverging toward the ends, means'to anchor said fastener comprising a portion adapted to extend below the tieplate and provided with a detent for engagement with the under side of the tieplate adjacent the edge of the spike hole in which the fastener is positioned, a portion of said fastener extending above the tieplate and formed to overlie and engage the rail base.

8. As an article of manufacture a drive type rail fastener provided with an anchoring portion at the lower end and adapted for use in the spike opening of a tieplate, comprising a strip of resilient material of approximately rail spike width folded upon itself once only at the anchoring end in such manner as to provide a two part shank comprising a rail leg for engagement with the base of a rail and a drive leg resiliently coacting therewith and acutely diverging therefrom and having a free upstanding end to which a spike maul may be applied to drive the fastener into position.

9. As an article of manufacture, a resilient rail fastening for securing a railroad rail to a support consisting of a V-shaped drive fastener of substantially uniform width from top to bottom comprising a pair of cooperating aligned metal bands forming a two part shank with'an anchoring end and of substantially the same width at and near said anchoring end as a rail spike, the

two bands diverging acutely thereabove, one of i said bands provided with an upper portion adapted to overlie the rail base and the other of said bands terminating in a driving head.

10. In a railroad track construction, in combination, a rail and a support therefor including a tieplate provided with a spike opening, a rail fastening positioned in said opening provided with a shank anchored in said support and resiliently engaging said tieplate, said shank consisting of two resiliently cooperating aligned members, each of the width of said opening, one of said members being directed towards and overlying the base of said rail and the other one of said mem bers terminating with a driving head whereby said fastening may be driven by a spike maul or the like, the two shank members diverging from each other the greater part of their length whereby to form a V-shaped wedge.

11. As an article of manufacture, a drive type rail fastener consisting of a wedge of resilient material provided with an anchoring portion and a two part shank comprising a drive member and a rail base bearing member, said drive member upwardly extending from said anchoring portion when said fastener is operatively positioned and provided at its upper extremity with a free end and said rail base bearing member connected to and diverging from said drive member and resiliently cooperating therewith and provided with an upper part directed away from said drive member and adapted to overlie the rail base.

12.'A rail fastener having a shank member adapted to be secured'in a rail support and provided at its upper end with an integral extension above the tieplate, said extension being in the form of a laterally projecting loop portion terminating in a resilient portion projecting laterally in the opposite direction, one of said portions being adapted to bear against the top of the adjacent rail base flange, the lower end of said shank member being provided with an integral extension adapted to engage the bottom of the tieplate to prevent the fastener from working up out of the support.

13. A rail fastener comprising a metal strip bent upon itself to provide a shank having spaced apart and laterally resilient legs, adapted to be driven through an opening in a tieplate and into an underlying cross tie, a portion of said fastener being offset adjacent the bottom of the tieplate to provide a detent for interlocking engagement with the plate, a hook portion at the upper end of the shank for resilient engagement with a rail base positioned on said plate and means positioned above the tieplate for driving said .fastener, the said means being provided with an inclined surface whereby to press the legs of the shank together and thereby release the said detent from interlocking engagement with the tieplate. 

